Power-transmission mechanism.



M. L. SEVERY.

POWER TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLlCATlON FILED JUNE 18, 1913.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

\X/ITHEEEEE:

THE NORRIS PETEI\ CO.. PHOIOJJTHQ. WASHINGTUN, D. C. I

M. L. SEVERY.

POWER TRANSMISSION MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18. ms.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0,, PHOTOLITHOH WASHINGTON. D- C MELVIN I. SEVERY, 0F ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO SEVERY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

POWER-TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

Application filed June 18, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MELVIN L. SEVERY, of Arlington Heights, in the county of MiddleseX and State of Massachusetts, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Transmission Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in power transmission mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide a flexible power transmission means, comprising a driving member, a driven-member, and an interposed medium for transmitting the power from the former to the latter, the relations of said members with respect to said medium being varied to regulate the amount of power transmitted.

With the above object in view, the invention contemplates the provision of a hollow outer drum, and a concentric inner drum rotatable independently of said outer drum and forming therewith an annular space which contains a liquid, preferably oil or glycerin. The outer drum is provided with a plurality of inwardly projecting vanes afiixed thereto, which extend entirely across said annular space and pack against the inner drum. The inner drum carries a plurality of slidable vanes, which are adapted to project from said inner drum across said annular space and pack against the outer drum.

The invention also contemplates the provision of means for enabling the pistons or vanes of one drum to pass those of the other, and also means whereby one set of vanes may be more or less withdrawn from the annular space and from the surface of the drum against which they normally pack, so that some of the fluid shall be allowed to pass, causing any desired slippage between the two members.

In-the present illustrative embodiment of the invention a pivotally mounted member engages each of the slidable pistons to limit their outward movement under the action of springs and centrifugal force, and cams are provided for controlling the inward movement of said slidable pistons to enable them to clear the rigid pistons or impellers on the outer drum.

The invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, in which-'- Figure 1 is a vertical section taken on the line ll in Fig. 2, Fig. 2 is a sectional Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

Serial No. 774,323.

end elevation with the cover-plate or end wall of the outer drum removed, and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the bleed holes adjacent the pistons.

As illustrated in said drawings, the device comprises an outer cylindrical shell or drum 10, having an end wall 12 bolted thereto. This outer drum in the present instance is the driving member and is pro- 1 vided with a hollow boss 14, which is secured in driving relation to the driving shaft, not shown. The drum 10 is divided by an annular wall 16 into two compartments 18 and 20. The compartment 18 contains a disk 22, and the compartment 20 contains a disk 24, said disks bearing against each other on their inner faces, and being splined to a longitudinally movable driven shaft 26. The shaft 26 is slidable and rotatable within the boss 14 on the end plate 12, and also within the boss 28 on the end wall 30 of the drum 10.

Afiixed to the inner face of the peripheral wall of the drum 10, and extending across the compartments 18 and 20, is a pair of impellers 32 and 34, respectively. These impellers are preferably L-shaped in crosssection and pack against the outer peripheries ofthe disks 22 and 24, said disks together constituting a driven drum. Aiiixed to the boss 28 is the fixed member 36 of a friction clutch, and cooperating therewith is a movable clutch-member 38 afiixed to and slidable with the driven shaft 26, said member 38 having a grooved boss 40 adapted to cooperate with a shipper, whereby the shaft 26 may be moved longitudinally to vary the amount-of power transmitted. The shaft 26 is provided with a vent 27 to prevent trapping of the liquid in the boss 14.

Slidably mounted in the disk 22 is a vane -or piston 42, which extends entirely across the compartment 18 and is adapted to pack against the inner face of the peripheral wall of the drum 10. This piston is provided with a reduced shank 44, which is preferably rectangular in cross-section and provided near its inner end with a slot 46, within which a small roller 48 is mounted. A spring 50 is coiled about a stud 52 and has one end held between two pins 54, which project from the vertical wall of a transverse recess or groove 56 extending across the disk 22. The other end of the spring 50 extends through the slot 46 and bears against the roller 48, said spring tending normally to hold the piston 42 out against the peripheral wall of the drum 10, said spring and centrifugal force acting together to move said piston outward when the device is rotated.

A vane or piston 60 is slidably mounted in the disk 24, and extends entirely across the compartment 20, said piston also packing against the inner face of the peripheral wall of the drum 10. This piston is provided witha reduced shank 62, which is preferably rectangular in cross-section and provided near its inner end with a slot 64 within which a roller 66 is mounted. A spring 68 is coiled about a stud 70, and has one end held between two pins 72 which project from the vertical wall of a transverse recess or groove 74 extending across the disk 24, similar to the recess 56 described above, but oppositely disposed with relation thereto. On the opposite side of the axis of rotation are similar recesses 57 and 75, so that the disks 22 and 24 will not be out of balance. The other end of the spring 68 extends through the slot 64 and bears against the roller 66, said spring tending normally to hold the piston 60 out against the peripheral wall of the drum, said spring and centrifugal force acting together whenthe device is rotated.

The annular spaces formed in the chambers 18 and 20, between the disks 22, 24 and the drum 10, are filled with a transmitting fluid, preferably oil or glycerin, and this fluid is driven around or rotated by the impellers 32 and 84 when said drum is rotated. A series of parallel grooves or bleed holes 78 are formed in the disks 22 and 24 adjacent the forward faces of the slidable pistons 42 and 60 (see Fig. 8) to prevent trapping of the fluid in the grooves or channels in which said pistons slide, these bleed holes being on the farther side from the fixed impellers 32, 34, so that as soon as an impeller has passed a piston it is pressing upon the fluid against the opposite side of said piston and thus does not tend to force the fluid into the bleed holes.

In order to limit or control the outward movement of the pistons and thus regulate the amount of power transmitted or energy absorbed'from the rotating fluid, a rocking member or yoke 80 is provided, having a pair of legs 82 straddling the shaft 26 and adapted to engage a pin 84 projecting from opposite sides of said shaft. The rocker 80 is provided with a pair of trunnions 86, 88, which are journaled in collars 90, 92, respectively, said collars being held in semi-cylindrical recesses provided on the opposing or meeting faces of the disks 22, 24. The rocker'80 is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed arms 94, 96 having their ends forked to partially embrace the reduced stems or shanks 44, 62, respectively, said forked ends being adapted to engage pins 98, 99 projecting from opposite sides of said shanks. It will be noted that the coiled springs 50 and 68 tend normally to force the pistons outwardly, thus keeping the pins 98 and 99 in engagement with the arms 94, 96, except when said pistons are moved inwardly out of the path of the impellers 32, 34 by mechanism about to be described.

The piston 42 is provided with a pair of cam rollers 100, which are adapted to be periodically engaged by cams 102, 104, affixed to the end wall 12 and partition 16; and the piston 60 is provided with a pair of cam rollers 106, which are adapted to be engaged by cams 108, 110, similar to the cams 102 and 104. These cams withdraw the pistons 42 and 60 alternately, in the present embodiment, so that they will escape the impellers on the driving drum.

With the parts in the positions shown in the drawings, the clutch-member 38 and the rocker 80 are in mid-position so that the piston 42 is withdrawn halfway and only engages the rotating stream of fluid through half its depth; and the piston 60 is withdrawn from the annular stream in the chamber 20 to allow the impeller 34 to pass. Thus it will be observed that both pistons are immersed equally in the rotating stream of transmitting fluid, except when one is withdrawn to allow an impeller to pass, yet there is always one piston in action, so that it can carry the full load at that instant, the parts having sufiicient momentum or flywheel effect to prevent any jar being felt.

From the construction above set forth it will be noted that the impellers on the driving drum 10 rotate the transmitting fluid to produce an annular stream having great centrifugal pressure and speed. The fluid is adapted to be caught between the impellers and pistons, and when the latter are out to their fullest extent the device drives solid. At this time the clutch-members 38 and 36 are brought into engagement to prevent any tendency of the driven member to lag due to leakage if there be any. When the pistons 42 and 60 are more or less withdrawn from the liquid annulus, the latter is allowed to pass with greater or less freedom thus causing slippage between the driving and driven members. It will be evident that at the time of the passage of any pair of impellers and pistons the annulus containing them is free and unobstructed, so that it can at that particular instant have no driving force. This will be readily seen by observing the position of the piston 60 in Fig. 2. For this reason a plurality of sets, in the present instance two, are provided, and disposed angularly so that only one set shall open at a time, the other sets carrying the full load 1,136,280 it'll.

at this instant. By this arrangement the full power of the driving engine may be taken at any speed which the driven end will stand. When all the passages are closed there is no slippage and the two ends or members run at one speed.

What I claim is 1. The combination of a pair of coaxial independently rotatable members; a hollow substantially cylindrical shell mounted on the first of said members to rotate therewith; a drum splined on the second of said members to rotate therewithin within the aforesaid shell, said drum and shell being of such proportions as to form an annular, substantially fluid tight chamber between the same; an impeller fixedly mounted on said shell and running in contact with said drum to interrupt the continuity of said annular space; an outward movable vane mounted in said drum and adapted to be projected therefrom across said annular space; a spring urging said vane outward; a bell crank pivoted in said drum and operatively connected with said second rotary element to be moved by the axial shifting of said rotary element with reference to said drum and operatively related to said movable vane variably to limit the outward movement thereof; a cam structure mounted in said shell and adapted to move said vane inward to clear said impeller as said vane approaches the same; a liquid confined in said annular space; and means for axially moving said second rotary element, to vary the limit of outward movement of said vane.

2. The combination of a pair of coaxially mounted rotatable members; a substantially cylindrical closed shell having two cylindrical chambers mounted to rotate with the first of said members; a drum splined on the second of said members to rotate therewith within said shell and having cylindrical portions turning within the cylindrical chambers of said shell to form two annular chambers; impellers rotating with said shell and running in contact with the peripheries of the cylindrical portions of said drum and adapted to interrupt the continuity of said annular chambers; a pair of outwardly movable vanes mounted in said drum and adapted to be projected across said annular chambers, said vanes and impellers being so arranged relatively to each other that the vanes approach their corresponding impellers in alternation; springs urging said vanes outward; cam structures mounted in said drum one for each of said impellers and each adapted to force the corresponding vane inward to clear its impeller as the vanes approach the same; a bell crank pivoted in said drum, 0peratively related to said vanes to limit the outward movement thereof and operatively connected with said second element to be adj usted by the axial shifting thereof; a liquid confined in said annular spaces; and means for axially shifting said second rotary element, to adjust the limit of outward movement of said vanes.

3. The combination of a rotary driving element and a rotary driven element, mounted for coaxial rotation; a drum formed with two chambers mounted to turn with one of said elements; a rotor mounted on the other of said elements to turn therewith within said drum, said rotor coacting with the chambers of said drum to form two closed annular spaces; impellers mounted adjacent to each other, one in each of said spaces and each mounted to turn with the drum in sealing contact with said rotor to interrupt the continuity of said annular spaces; a pair of oppositely disposed vanes carried by said rotor and each adapted to be projected across a corresponding one of said annular spaces; cam devices associated with said rotor and drum and adapted to retract said vanes in alternation to cause the same to pass respective impellers; an adjustable stop mechanism coacting with both said vanes and adapted to limit the outward movements thereof; springs urging said vanes outward; and a liquid confined in said annular spaces.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MELVIN L. SEVERY.

Witnesses:

EDWARD S. GRooKn'rT, WILLIAM J. SPERL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washingtonfl]. G. 

